The present invention relates in general to artificial lures used for fishing, and more particularly to an improved type of "crank bait" characterized by combined high reflectivity, good action and ease of manufacture.
In a recent article on fishing lures ("A Guide to Lures", K. Schultz, Field and Stream, LXXXI, No 3, July 1976), a distinction is made of the various types of lures, dividing them into seven categories: spoons, spinners, jigs, surface plugs, shallow-running plugs, deep-diving plugs and soft baits. Those lures that are cast, then retreived, are generally referred to as "crank bait" . It is reported that there are 124 manufacturers of fishing lures within the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association, as well as other firms, that produce a multiplicity of lures in each of the categories.
It is recognized that, in general, one category of lure may be more effective than another for a specific specie of fish. For example, spinners are generally used for panfish, trout, pike and similar fish. Plug-type baits, in contrast, are generally useful for bass-family fishing. As indicated by their title, the difference in the categories of plugs is their location with respect to the water surface as they are moved through the water. The factors determining the "running" characteristics are the degree of buoyancy, the plug shape and the force applied by the fishing line. A non-buoyant plug, for example, would tend to sink when cast into water but a proper planing surface of the plug may cause the plug to remain near the water surface during movement through the water. The reverse action is possible with a buoyant plug having a different shape. Any of the plugs must, however, have lateral stability, i.e., be resistant to angular movement about a longitudinal "axis" of the lure (generally an extension of the fishing line). Dipping and darting movements, or instabilities, are desirable, these movements being limited by the force exerted on the fishing line.
Although most manufactured plug-type lures provide these use characteristics, the exterior form chosen for the plugs creates certain problems in manufacture. For example, when a degree of curvature is used on all surfaces--back, belly, and sides--special holding devices are required for moving the plugs along an assembly line for applying patterned decorations. Similar problems occur in the basic manufacture of the body itself. Finally, the finished product generally performs with only one depth characteristic during movement through the water.